


Soft Heart

by Kawagea



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pets, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rabbits, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 03:05:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6356419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kawagea/pseuds/Kawagea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Relearning gentleness is not easy. Baby bunnies can fix most things, though, as Bucky discoverers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soft Heart

**Author's Note:**

> It's 12:00 at night and I got the urge to write some fluff. With bunnies. Just because. So this happened.
> 
> I might expand on this - because _Bucky with bunnies_ \- and add another chapter in the future.

"I don't want to - I'm gonna hurt it." Bucky's voice is soft, but there's a break to it, and hearing him almost snaps Steve's heart in two. He meets Bucky's wide-eyed grey gaze and gives him a reassuring smile. 

"You're not. I trust you," he says. "Hey, he wants his milk."

The tiny rabbit held in Bucky's trembling right hand begins to squirm around, seeking out the milk it had been enjoying moments ago. Bucky licks his lips and puts the pipette back to the bunny's mouth. It begins to suck, pinprick claws digging into his skin. Bucky glances up at Steve and Steve beams, giving him thumbs up. 

He knows how hard this is for Bucky. For decades he was taught to kill and destroy. His hands have ripped and choked and stabbed and shot. Relearning gentleness is not easy. And it's not that Bucky isn't compassionate, or has no morals; it's his fear. You can't imprint on someone's brain that they're a weapon and then expect them to just shake it off. He's scared of what he could do, because he's done it before, and he knows what it feels like. 

He brought it up with Steve a few weeks ago, in less direct terms, but Steve tried to understand. He's traumatized, yes, but it's not nearly as bad as Bucky. Steve never had to go through the horror of having his brain played around with; and it isn't like he hasn't made some unavoidable kills in the field, but at least he was in control. And he's relieved, selfishly relieved, but he wishes he could understand Bucky better. Help him. Not that Bucky isn't capable, but everyone needs some support. 

So Steve did some research. When he was de-iced and still in the thick of his PTSD, he had briefly considered getting a support dog. Then the Avengers happened, and a dog just...didn't. He supposes with all his new teammates, friends he could relate to, he didn't need one. But it came back to him, and although he knows they don't have space or time for a dog, he pulled some strings and got a rabbit. Two rabbits, actually. The mother, a beautiful doe with one blind eye, and her only surviving baby, a sickly kit. The shelter staff were a bit reluctant to adopt the pair out, but Steve insisted and was patient, and it happened.

The baby needed supplementary feeds, the staff had said, to keep its weight up. And so Steve saw the perfect opportunity. Bucky was reluctant at first, but Steve's unwavering trust in him did the trick, and early this morning he caved in.

"He really likes it," murmurs Bucky. Steve looks up and smiles. He leans across the couch and pets the tiny rabbit's head, using a single finger. He's got to hand it to Bucky, it is unnerving, holding such a small, helpless creature. When he first got the serum, he never told anyone, but he was a little intimidated by his own strength, and that feeling rushes back whenever he interacts with the bunny. 

"He does," Steve replies. "You're doing so fuckin' good, Bucky. You can let him lay on your chest when he's finished, if you want."

Bucky nods, and gulps. Hm. Steve can tell he wants to, but whether he will is another question. Oh, well. There's still a little milk left in the pipette. He'll have to wait and see. Steve grabs the remote off the coffee table and flicks the television on, lowering the volume. He yawns and lays back. God, he's tired. 

+

"Stevie."

Ugh. 

"Steve, wake the fuck up."

Steve opens his eyes, quite in shock. He hadn't intended to fall asleep, honestly - he just dozed off. He blinks sleep from eyes and pushes himself up, and glances over at Bucky.

"Hmm?"

"Look." Bucky points to his chest. His right hand is cupped over something - the rabbit. Steve's heart swells with love, pride, and he meets Bucky's eyes, hoping to convey the emotion. The little rabbit's sound asleep, head peeking out from under Bucky's hand, eyes shut tight. And Bucky looks so calm. Any fear of hurting the creature is gone, it seems, and he smiles at Steve.

"He fell asleep just after you," Bucky explains. "I - I was kinda worried, at first. But I put him on my chest, like you said, an' he was out right away."

Steve shuffles closer, peering at the little animal sprawled out under Bucky's protective hand. 

"You're not - worried anymore, right?"

"'Bout hurting it?" Bucky frowns. "A little. Not - not so much. It's kinda nice, looking after him. Reminds me of you. Before you got big."

Steve snorts. "Really?" 

Bucky smirks. "The rabbit's lot better behaved, though."

Steve pouts, faking offense. "As if I'd do a thing wrong."

"Shut up."

Steve grins and rests against Bucky's solid shoulder, breathing in his familiar smell. Like home. He leans into his warmth, closing his eyes as a small smile spreads across his face. Bucky sighs and strokes the rabbit's soft fur with his thumb, slow and gentle. It snuggles into his shirt, burying its nose in the fabric, and Bucky bites his lip. It's a reassurance, in so many ways that he can't even articulate, that this tiny animal trusts him. He's spent most of his life fighting, whether against bullies or in the war or as HYDRA's weapon. And now, finally, he gets to care for something, not kill or even fight. Just _care_. And it's not much. No, it's just one little step in his recovery. But every step counts.


End file.
